Tom Brown
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown
@nworbmot.bsky.social
energy system modeller | professor @tuberlin.bsky.social | https://nworbmot.org | https://github.com/PyPSA | https://model.energy | openmod ally | #freethemodels | he/him
Pinned
My old posts are now on a blog. Since many of our social media platforms are walled gardens and some are now owned by fascism-sympathisers, I've back-ported all my posts and threads onto a blog:

nworbmot.org/blog/

It was fun re-reading some of the older Twitter threads, here are some fun ones:
blog | nworbmot:tombrown
nworbmot.org
Since everyone is busy "resetting", here is a more focused plea: let's manage our sustainable biomass better.

People get nervous around biomass (it's complicated!) but high costs for green hydrogen and direct air capture mean we need to take a closer look.

Blog: nworbmot.org/blog/biomass...
October 31, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
“By 2040, the Locational scenario could reduce the total system cost by 23 – 59 Bn. EUR annually. These savings are in the order of magnitude of those associated with the integration of European electricity markets.”
Locational Price Signals in Europe
As Europe strives to become the first climate neutral continent, grid congestion is becoming an increasingly urgent issue, with the potential to lead to large-scale curtailment of renewables and under...
publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu
October 16, 2025 at 11:12 AM
PyPSA v1.0 is officially here - 10 years and 2 days since the first git commit. This milestone release brings major new features, completely new documentation, and a fresh landing page - congratulations to all the PyPSA team! 🎉

🔗 New Documentation: docs.pypsa.org
🔗 New Landing Page: pypsa.org
October 14, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
Every day is a good day to point out that 92% of Reform's donations were found to come from figures and groups linked to the fossil fuel industry. @desmog.com
Nigel Farage’s Reform Party Has Accepted £2.3 Million from Fossil Fuel Interests, Climate Deniers, and Polluters Since 2019 Election
Reform UK has received more than £2.3 million from oil and gas interests, highly polluting industries, and climate science deniers since December 2019, amounting to 92 percent of the party’s donations...
www.desmog.com
October 12, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Explosive stuff on Elsevier's journal publishing business from the previous (now fired) editor-in-chief of Energy Economics...the rot seems deep.
September 16, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
🔋 Die #Energiewende erfordert Investitionen von 116–131 Mrd. €/Jahr. Gleichzeitig sinken fossile Importe & Haushalte sparen Geld. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt @nworbmot.bsky.social von der #TUBerlin im Ariadne-Report 2025. Sein Appell: Erneuerbare & Elektrifizierung müssen vorangehen. Zum Interview ⬇️
„Wir sollten uns durch das Prüfen nicht vom Tun abbringen lassen“
TU-Professor Tom Brown über die Mehrkosten der Energiewende und seine Forderungen an die Politik
www.tu.berlin
August 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
And this!

“Here comes the sun ☀️“

“Record solar growth keeps China’s CO2 falling in first half of 2025”

www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...

@carbonbrief.org
August 21, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
The green transition will not be stopped by Trump or anyone else.

Just look to Ethiopia, and Morocco, and Nepal, and Pakistan, and Turkey
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
The green transition has a surprising new home
Forget about northern Europeans, with their coalition governments and love of cycling
www.economist.com
August 21, 2025 at 10:29 AM
A minimal methanol economy - I have so many questions! Then this Frequently Asked Questions post is for you.

All your questions about using methanol for gaps in highly-electrified scenarios are answered here:

nworbmot.org/blog/methano...
July 14, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
Join us for the third PyPSA User Meeting 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, July 2, from 10am-12:30pm (CEST) for exciting lightning talks from the community and to get a preview of the new 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 coming in PyPSA v1.0!

Agenda and registration: forum.openmod.org/t/3rd-pypsa-...

#PyPSA
June 30, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Free software is critical for digital sovereignty.

After Trump's Executive Order in February targeting the International Criminal Court and its chief prosecutor, Microsoft promptly withdraw his access to his emails.

www.heise.de/en/news/Crim...

Yet another wake-up call (TM)
Criminal Court: Microsoft's email block a wake-up call for digital sovereignty
Microsoft blocked the email account of Chief Prosecutor of the International Court of Justice after Trump's sanctions. Critics: “We urgently need alternatives.”
www.heise.de
June 27, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
@nworbmot.bsky.social is doing really important stuff again, simulating how methanol (instead of hydrogen) could be the fuel to power a system otherwise mainly running on solar, wind and batteries. SUPER interesting paper.
arxiv.org/html/2505.09...
June 14, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
Green imports and Europe’s net-zero blueprint 🏗️🌍
Steel 🔩, methanol ⛽, ammonia 🌾, hydrogen 🫧, electricity ⚡ - What to bring in and what to keep local?

New #pypsa study in @natcomms.nature.com with @nworbmot.bsky.social and @euronion42.bsky.social.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Green energy and steel imports reduce Europe’s net-zero infrastructure needs - Nature Communications
This study examines cost reductions, volumes, & vectors of green energy imports to Europe, showing diminishing returns at higher volumes and a preference for methanol, steel and hydrogen imports.
www.nature.com
June 12, 2025 at 1:05 PM
It's great to see METI's 7th Strategic Energy Plan for Japan, but 60-70% nuclear+renewables in 2040 in electricity seems low.

30-40% non-nuclear thermal generation (fossil gas + CCS, e-hydrogen, e-ammonia) is going to be expensive.

www.enecho.meti.go.jp/en/category/...

#iew25 #energysky
June 11, 2025 at 2:04 AM
My old posts are now on a blog. Since many of our social media platforms are walled gardens and some are now owned by fascism-sympathisers, I've back-ported all my posts and threads onto a blog:

nworbmot.org/blog/

It was fun re-reading some of the older Twitter threads, here are some fun ones:
blog | nworbmot:tombrown
nworbmot.org
May 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
"Wie wird Deutschland klimaneutral?" Diese wichtige Frage stellt mein Kollege @wpschill.bsky.social in der neuen Folge seines Podcasts. Mit dabei: @gunnarenergyclima.bsky.social (@pik-potsdam.bsky.social) und @nworbmot.bsky.social (@tuberlin.bsky.social) aus dem @ariadneprojekt.bsky.social.
diw.de DIW Berlin @diw.de · May 23
🎧Hörstoff zum Wochenende ▶️ @wpschill.bsky.social, @gunnarenergyclima.bsky.social (@pik-potsdam.bsky.social) & @nworbmot.bsky.social (@tuberlin.bsky.social) stellen Szenariorechnungen vor, wie Deutschland bis 2045 möglichst kostengünstig klimaneutral werden kann.
www.diw.de/de/diw_01.c....
May 26, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
1/🎙️ Wie wird Deutschland klimaneutral, und was wird uns das kosten? Einige Antworten auf diese großen Fragen gibt es in der heute veröffentlichten Folge #32 von fossilfrei, dem Energiewende-Podcast des @diw.de Berlin.
DIW Berlin: Fossilfrei #32 Wie wird Deutschland klimaneutral?
Wie wird Deutschland klimaneutral? Das klären wir mit nicht nur einem, sondern gleich zwei führenden Forschern aus dem Kopernikus-Projekt Ariadne: Prof. Dr. Gunnar Luderer vom Potsdam-Institut für…
www.diw.de
May 23, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
🎧Hörstoff zum Wochenende ▶️ @wpschill.bsky.social, @gunnarenergyclima.bsky.social (@pik-potsdam.bsky.social) & @nworbmot.bsky.social (@tuberlin.bsky.social) stellen Szenariorechnungen vor, wie Deutschland bis 2045 möglichst kostengünstig klimaneutral werden kann.
www.diw.de/de/diw_01.c....
May 23, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Thank you @deutschebahn.com and international partners for 3 absolutely seamless train journeys. 🚄

Potsdam to Pisa (16 hours, 4 changes)

Pisa to Freiburg (10 hours, 3 changes)

Freiburg to Potsdam (8 hours, 1 changes)

No delays, no missed connections, no stress.

Cheers!
May 19, 2025 at 8:21 PM
As the hydrogen bubble deflates, what are the alternatives? We present a "minimal methanol economy": using methanol as a gap-filler for the few sectors electrification can't reach.

New working paper together with Philipp Glaum, @fneum.bsky.social, @millinger.bsky.social:

arxiv.org/abs/2505.09277
May 19, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
I was happy to participate in this event and explain how the U.S. Energy Information Administration meets energy data needs in the United States. 🔌💡
💡 ICYMI: Europe’s energy information problem

Europe suffers from an under-provision of energy information. @nworbmot.bsky.social
@jfdecarolis.bsky.social @bmcwilliams.bsky.social &
@gzachmann.bsky.social discussed possible solutions

🔗Watch the event recording:
Europe’s energy information problem
Is Europe flying blind on energy policy — and how can better data help steer the transition?
buff.ly
May 13, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by Tom Brown
💡 ICYMI: Europe’s energy information problem

Europe suffers from an under-provision of energy information. @nworbmot.bsky.social
@jfdecarolis.bsky.social @bmcwilliams.bsky.social &
@gzachmann.bsky.social discussed possible solutions

🔗Watch the event recording:
Europe’s energy information problem
Is Europe flying blind on energy policy — and how can better data help steer the transition?
buff.ly
May 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Very cool new tool from @agoraew.bsky.social by Fraunhofer IEE shows live what local prices would look like in Germany.

Local prices would help coordinate batteries, DSM, interconnectors to provide flexibility where it's needed.

Direct link to tool: www.agora-energiewende.de/daten-tools/...

👏
🥁 Tool Launch: Mit verschiedenen #Strompreisen zu einem günstigeren und effizienterem Strommarkt? Seit Montag wird ein Thema intensiv diskutiert: die Empfehlungen des #BiddingZoneReviews der europäischen #Übertragungsnetzbetreiber. 1/x
May 7, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
💡 Europe’s energy information problem
📅 8 May 2025, 13:00-14:30 CET

⌛ Don't miss @nworbmot.bsky.social , @jfdecarolis.bsky.social , @bmcwilliams.bsky.social & @gzachmann.bsky.social discussing possible solutions to the topic.

🔗 Sign up here: buff.ly/paWc93D
May 7, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Reposted by Tom Brown
❗New speaker joining the conversation on Europe's energy information problem:
Wioletta Dunin-Majewska, Deputy Head of Dan Jørgensen's cabinet, European Commission

With us also: @nworbmot.bsky.social , @jfdecarolis.bsky.social & @gzachmann.bsky.social

🔗 Sign up here: buff.ly/5QvFdTV
April 28, 2025 at 12:44 PM